This application is related to commonly-owned, co-pending applications filed concurrently herewith, entitled:
xe2x80x9cAdvanced Interactive Voice Response Service Nodexe2x80x9d having application number 09/073,880, filed on May 7, 1998;
xe2x80x9cTelecommunications Architecture for Call Center Services Using Advanced Interactive Voice Response Service Nodesxe2x80x9d having application number 09/074,096, filed on May 7, 1998;
xe2x80x9cInteractive Voice Response Service Node with Advanced Resource Managementxe2x80x9d having application number 09/074,142, filed on May 7, 1998;
xe2x80x9cService Provisioning System for Interactive Voice Response Servicesxe2x80x9d having application number 09/074,050, filed on May 7, 1998;
xe2x80x9cCommunications Signaling Gateway and System for an Advanced Service Nodexe2x80x9d having application number 09/074,072, filed on May 7, 1998;and
xe2x80x9cSystem for Executing Advanced Interactive Voice Response Services Using Service-Independent Building Blocksxe2x80x9d having application number 09/073,887, filed on May 7, 1998.
The above applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer telephony, and more particularly to providing a signaling method for a communications signaling gateway to be used in conjunction with advanced service node platforms to handle calls on a telephone network.
2. Related Art
Service node platforms that provide enhanced call services are common in the telecommunications industry. The modern trend is to design and implement modular service nodes that may be placed anywhere throughout a telecommunications network. A common example of a service node is an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) service node. It is common for a business, who is a customer of a telecommunications service provider, to use IVR services in conjunction with call center services. The IVR service nodes are commonly used for customer call center routing. They perform processing of customer applications, based on one or more criteria selected by the customer, such as the dialed number of a call, Dialed number Identification Service (DNIS), Automatic Number Identification (ANI),. time of day, caller-entered digits, geographic point of call origin, etc. The IVR service nodes may also perform other IVR services such as automated servicing of callers for customers, caller surveys, telemarketing, and call parking until a call center has an available resource (e.g., a customer service agent).
Conventional IVR service nodes require specialized architectures as customers demand more customized IVR applications. Consequently, different types of IVR service nodes are implemented throughout a telecommunications network to handle different customer""s IVR applications. This results in an inefficient network because a call needing a certain application must be routed to a certain IVR service node irrespective of that node""s current load. Therefore, a next generation of service nodes will be designed to provide customized services for many different customers, all on a common platform.
A next generation of IVR service nodes will be complex computing platforms containing extensive software designed to perform a great number of functions. Any modification to the platform as a result of interface changes will require significant time, money and effort. Furthermore, the platform will be offered for sale to different telecommunications network carriers. These carriers most likely will utilize different network signaling systems. For example, most carriers in North America use the American National Standards Institute""s (ANSI) Signaling System 7 (SS7), whereas many European carries use the International Telecommunications Union""s (ITU) C7. Different signaling systems may even be employed in the same network.
For example, a carrier may use ANSI SS7 signaling for access and inter-exchange switching, while using ISDN Switch Computer Application Interface (SCAI) for automated call distributors (ACD). The SCAI is also an ANSI standard for Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) and is well known in the relevant art. To add to the problem, signaling systems undergo periodic updates and new version releases by standards bodies (e.g., ANSI, ITU, etc.). These all require interface modifications to any of the platforms located on a telecommunications network. Therefore, what is needed is a transaction control layer for a communications signaling gateway that encapsulates multiple communications network signaling systems into a single signaling interface for the platforms and tracks different type of states for both calls and network resources, such as circuits and ports.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for a signaling gateway transaction control layer (TCL) that encapsulates multiple signaling systems into a single signaling interface for use by a next generation service node (NGSN) deployed in a telecommunications network. The method includes receiving incoming messages from a graphical user interface (GUI), a switch on the network, or the NGSN. The TCL then performs initial processing of the incoming message. Initial processing checks the validity of the incoming message, and sends an appropriate response message, if necessary, to the NGSN and/or the switch. Also, statistics are generated for all incoming messages and invalid messages are alarmed. State-dependent processing of calls and resources on the NGSN is then performed. State-dependent processing involves retrieving call and resources state data, translating identification of resources between the switch and the NGSN; allocating resources on the NGSN to calls on switch; and storing state call and resource state data. Lastly, the TCL sends appropriate result messages to the NGSN and/or the switch.
An advantage of the present invention is that any network signaling system implementation variations, as well as detailed functions performed for call setup and resource management, are transparent to the service node. Furthermore, the TCL makes the signaling gateway compatible with various 1VR platforms.
Another advantage of the present invention is that by using a single process to track different states, several states can be related. This allows resource management to be performed for an entire NGSN.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that is closely monitors the state of calls and resources. Therefore, the reason a call or circuit is blocked or otherwise unavailable can be known. Further features and advantages of the present invention as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.